Gift fanfic written for my friend Chang
by EmeraldRainDragon
Summary: Gift fanfic written for my friend Chang. Pure Crackfic. Trigger warning for: character death/suicide


Written for Chang, and she's honestly the only one who will even comprehend this. Going to be deleted off here after today.

A dark Crackfic/Parodic Retelling AU of the ending for one of her favorite movies. Don't take this seriously.

Excessive abuse of mushy romantic language/ tropes that may give flashbacks to writing College Admission essays. Multiple character death warning. Also, dialog is definitely very much inaccurate because everything was written from memory.

I am not responsible for any braincells lost reading this – I've pretty much lost all of them even writing it.

Oftentimes in life, people are forced to make a decision on their own. When all clarity has fled and they are left to stumble in the void of nothing known as emptiness, asking of the people and certainties they had known 'Where are they?' and receiving no answer in return. These are the moments where there is no easy way forward and they continue to chafe under turmoil like stone being worn away by coarse, irritating sand.

But should the person weather the storm for long enough; struggle against circumstance for long enough, sometimes a moment of crystal-clear clarity will appear. And in that moment the path will become as clear as the ever-shining sun would be to a fire-tailed sunbird flying through a cloudless summer sky.

Such was the kind of moment that Raj found himself in as he looked upon Rohan, cricket bat in hand.

The moment Rohan's finished speaking, suddenly everything came into focus. All the pain and rage he had endured the past month coalesced into a single moment of clear calm.

There were two paths that he could take. To accept the cards fate had dealt him…. Or to rage against it and take matters into his own hands.

He made his choice

Giving Rohan an indecipherable look. Raj let the cricket bat he was holding swing….

Pooja was not sure what she was expecting when Raj called her to the lakeside that night. Well, no…perhaps that wasn't accurate. She did not know what to expect from Raj anymore, period. Over the past months, she'd watched as her father's desire that Raj marry Tina broke the man she loved.

She'd watched his temper grow with his frustration and heartbreak. Her heart broke with him and for him, but her resolve would not waver.

She would honor her father's wish even if it killed her- even if it killed the man she loved. And it probably would kill them both in the end. She could see they were both well past the point of no return.

Perhaps that was why she could never really hold Raj's actions against him. How could she, when she was the one who chose to be selfish first? She had dangled their future together before him like a human holding a snack just out of reach of a hungry snake then whisked it away just as quickly. No wonder that he had lashed out as he had. Knowing he was hurting so truly and deeply, how could she fear him?

And, of course, she still loved him. For as long as she had even 1% of the love she held for him, it was absolutely certain that she could never fear him.

She was broken out of her momentary reflection when she noticed that she'd already arrived at the pier where he had requested their meeting to be. Raj was already there. The street lights casted reflections that danced in the water and illuminated his face just enough so that she could just barely make out the expression he wore.

It was one she had never seen since the day all the mess between them had started. An expression she thought she'd never see again. In his eyes were only kindness tinged with melancholy at the edges. And despite herself, despite working so hard to lock away her feelings for months on end, she felt her heart break just a little more.

His expression and the peace-offering of gobi ka parathas in his hands a silent invitation of 'join me' spoken without words.

And so, she did.

They talked in quiet voices under the light that gleamed like stars, and she ate the gobi ki parathas Raj had made for her. It was the most normal conversation that they had with one another in weeks and made her heart ache for those simpler days again.

She wished the moment could go on forever, but alas, the moment could not last. Eventually he spoke the words she had paradoxically wanted and not wanted to hear the most.

"Pooja, I have accepted that we cannot be together-" His eyes were wet with unshed tears as he held her hands gently.

"Raj…." She trailed off.

Her heart felt so heavy. Like a ball of lead weighing her down. What could she say? 'Raj, you are breaking my heart with your kindness'? 'Raj I wish things could be different'? She struggled to find the words.

And she felt exhausted, tired. As if all the things left unsaid between them were a figurative weight dragging her down to the rough wood of the dock beneath their feet.

In fact… she was pretty sure she could actually feel the wood against her cheek.…Wasn't that strange? Perhaps… she should just rest a little…

As she slumped, she dimly made out Raj's voice.

"-in this life. So we shall be together in the next."

Raj watched as Pooja gracefully slid down to the ground, the gobi ki parathas laced with poison falling down to hit the wooden dock.

He wished that there could have been another way, but in the end this was the only way they could be together.

Pulling a vial from his pocket, he downed its contents in one gulp.

The poison worked fast. Taken in such high concentration, he began to feel its effects almost immediately.

As the black haze that encroached at the edge of his vision continued to grow heavier and darker. Raj found himself reaching out for Pooja's hand.

"Pooja…." He called, softly. Even though they were at the end, some part of him still yearned to hear her say it out loud one last time. "Do you love me?"

There was no answer. _Ah…so she has already gone ahead without me_.

He tightened his hand around hers. Perhaps in some other world they had met a kinder fate than this, but Raj felt no rage or discontent.

His head dipped slowly in a nod. _It is okay…_

To die by the person you love was not a bad way to go, and despite receiving no answer from Pooja, he had always been assured of her love.

_Because…_

_You see.._

_Love is still love even if you don't say anything._


End file.
